Woman barred from leaving Philippines for using cousin’s identity

MANILA, Philippines — A 20-year-old woman suspected to be a victim of human trafficking was prevented from leaving the country after she was caught using her cousin’s identity, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported yesterday.

The woman was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 as she was about to board a flight for Saudi Arabia on Sept. 17.

During the initial inspection, the woman told immigration officers she was a 30-year-old scheduled to work as a house maid in Saudi Arabia.

She admitted during secondary inspection that she was only 20 years old and had used her cousin’s identity.

The BI said it found that the woman’s passport was “fraudulently acquired” and brought her to the Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking for further investigation.

The passport the woman used would be “forwarded to the Department of Foreign Affairs for appropriate action,” the BI added.